Should content creators be cautious and mindful of the stories they release amid the pandemic?

The grasp of the pandemic tightened in the last few months, which affected people in more ways than one. Even as things are slowly getting back on track with the unlock phase, the sentiment continues to be grim and everyone being cautious to resume their normal lives. And as there’s dependency on content consumption like never before, should makers be more conscious about what they present to the viewers? Is it time content creators focus on inspiring and uplifting stories, at least for some time?

Actor Bidita Bag, who stars in the series Teen Do Paanch, which is about a couple who end up adopting three kids, says that light-hearted content is what people watch right now.

She explains, “During the pandemic, so many children have lost their parents. I know adopting isn’t that easy, we all aren’t in that position, but at least we can fund their education, and take care of their needs. The timing of our show is correct and many viewers told me they got inspired. So, we must be conscious about what we release during these times.”

Not too dark content seems to have more takers in the current times. Actor Sidharth Shukla, who would showcase his work through the romance series, Broken But BeautifuI 3 in glad how it has been received.

“It fuels me more to perform better, to pick up projects which the audience will truly enjoy and to entertain them in a different way every time. I’m happy that even during these trying times, the content has been providing the audience a mental break and a reason to stay home,” he says.

Given the mental exhaustion people have gone through amid the crisis, it’s also on them to choose content they watch, wisely. Anything that may have a negative impact should be avoided at present.

“People need inspiration and motivation, not something that would push them into some dark space. As actors and content creators, we need take cognisance of this. Since the primary source of entertainment now are web projects, and somewhat television, these have to be kept in mind,” says Naveen Kasturia, who starred in Aspirants, which he says resulted in him getting a lot of messages from viewers lauding the “inspiring content”.

Even the decision to bring back a fan favourite series during a crisis was a welcome distraction. Talking about how The Family Man 2 brought smiles on people’s faces, actor Sharib Hashmi says, “The characters have become so loved and popular that the audience was keenly awaiting the second season. We feel happy we could bring that joy to their lives. The few months have been so difficult and I’ve been getting messages from fans that, ‘Sir, jaldi le ayiye show ko’. It’s the perfect show I feel, because we tapped into some intense stuff, but there was a fine a balance with comedy, which has been used in the narrative.”

Television has been quite a respite for many and especially the reality TV shows. Many believe that the way drama soap Anupamaa, comedy show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma and reality series Super Dancer Chapter 4, have been reigning the TRP charts, it’s a clear indication that intense content is a big no-no for the audience.

“Reality shows have been doing exceptionally well across channels. That’s a clear message from the audience and they’re letting their preferences known,” shares a source from a leading channel.